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People without food restrictions should leave specialized foods for those who need them

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Is it too much to ask to be able to eat SOME of the food on the table? Photo: Mike Kenneally/Unsplash

By: Madeleine Chan, Staff Writer

Have you ever been to an event or party, gone over to the food table, and been disappointed at the limited, or non-existent, selection you can eat? If not, that’s great. If yes, then it’s probably because the people who aren’t limited in food choice took it all.

My gluten and dairy allergies usually rule out my feasting options at parties and events. Dietary-restriction awareness, particularly for on-campus events, seems to be at an all-time low as suitable food options are always limited to a few measly items. 

Spotting the words “GLUTEN FREE” or “VEGAN” always makes the clouds part and the sun shine down on this one thing that can quell my hungry and sensitive stomach. However, seeing people take those divinely-labelled items when they do not need to fills my soul with sorrow. It feels as if they rip my hopeful heart out of my chest and serve it to me on a platter saying, “Here, you can eat this instead.”

Not being able to eat certain foods shouldn’t exclude me from satiating my hunger alongside everyone else. Other people should respect that by not taking the limited foods that I can eat. I cannot count the number of times that I have gone to an event or party and had nothing but some carrot sticks to eat. And carrots are great: bunnies love them, and I love them. It shouldn’t, however, be the only option there to fill my belly — especially not when I know there were other options there.

I recognize that I’m on the lucky side of food restrictions. Some people literally cannot eat certain things or else they suffer immediate, deathly reactions. But even if someone isn’t deathly allergic to something, their religious, cultural, or otherwise personal food choices and diets should be respected. Yeah, maybe Becky won’t die from not being on a keto and a vegan diet, but that doesn’t mean you should make that choice for her by taking all of her food options.

If you can go to a party or event and not worry about potentially dying, becoming ill, or starving due to the spread available, then maybe you should check which kind of foods you’re consuming. Make sure they’re not intended for someone else. Greater awareness about specialty foods and dietary restrictions will allow everyone in attendance to have the ability to enjoy the fun as well as the food.

What Grinds Our Gears: Constant fire alarms in Residences are testing my patience

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Unless the dorm is on fire, I don’t want to hear about it. Illustration: Maple Sukontasukkul/The Peak

By: Lubaba Mahmud, Staff Writer

It’s 10 p.m. on a weekend, and I’ve snuggled up in bed with all sorts of snacks to rewatch Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Ahh, cozy, right? WRONG. Because DING DING DING there goes the obnoxious, unplanned fire alarm in SFU Residence. Now I have to rush down seven flights of stairs to wait outside in the cold for at least half an hour until it is turned off.

Once, the fire alarm started at 1 a.m. during exam season. I’ve also screamed internally when that horrible noise rang again within a mere two-week interval — during the holidays when there was a grand total of seven residents in my entire building, no less. 

Whether it’s an alarm malfunctioning issue, someone smoking in their room, or some idiot pulling the alarm because they have a pathetic sense of humour, it is extremely annoying whenever the alarm unexpectedly sounds. Not to mention that it undermines the importance of planned fire drills. More and more people are staying inside their rooms when these alarms go off. I’ve even heard of students throwing out their fire alarms in frustration. 

I’ll still drag my lazy ass down the stairs each time it rings, but the sense of urgency that fire alarms should invoke is now as watered-down as Dining Hall coffee.

 

Inspiring SFU student film Saloon Doors featured at Vancouver Short Film Festival

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Arts
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Photo via IMDb
Photo via IMDb

by Ben McGuinness, Peak Associate

Each year, the Vancouver Short Film Festival shows off the power of short films and Vancouver’s up-and-coming filmmakers at the Vancity Theatre.

Amongst this year’s films was Saloon Doors, an exciting short by second year SFU film student Santiago Araujo Henderson who punches above his weight — as far as his cinematography is concerned. Not only did Henderson write this incredible short, but also directed and starred in it as well. From the very first shot of a bus blowing through Uruguay beaches to an upbeat Spanish song, the film is decidedly different from most shorts that take a safer, more measured approach to their settings and visuals.

The first scene is a vivid dream that protagonist Hank (Santiago Henderson) is having where, while he’s on a rickety bus tour, his girlfriend (Bonnie Louise Gaskin) is posed majestically amongst the boulders and dunes in the style of a Vogue photoshoot. Somehow he gleans that the dream is telling him their relationship is in trouble, and upon waking up he jeopardizes it by obsessing over their status on the night of her art gallery showing.

Despite the tension, they clearly try to keep it working as he brings the focus back to her show. The scene at the gallery is another loaded visual for the audience, featuring gorgeous paintings created by the actress herself. 

Meeting Henderson after the show, I’m not surprised to find he’s passionate and just a bit frenzied as he conveys his excitement describing the filmmaking process. The scene in Uruguay, I learn, was filmed by chance as he traveled to the country for a wedding. I come to realize the film is a delirious blend of autobiography, documentary, and just enough fiction that Hank can show his girlfriend what he sees in his dreams through a “dream machine” pillow covered in Christmas lights — though I’m sure Henderson would too if he could.

Or maybe Hank only dreamed about the dream machine. It’s hard to tell exactly what happened as the film flits between lush dreams and sluggish reality. It is shot in a style that especially reminds me of Satoshi Kon, with the camera following Hank’s girlfriend into their dark apartment as the footage of his dream interlaces itself into the scene. Somehow, I’m assured, it is recounting a time in the director’s life when his relationship was challenged by the commotion of two artists dating.

The audience might get a bit lost in the fever-dream ramblings of the protagonist and the surreal splicing of his visions with mundane reality. However, if Henderson revisits the concept, he might be able to better convey why his dream affected him so greatly that he turned it into an ambitious film project.

Short films are most exciting when they are the playground for what could one day be the elements of a director’s feature films. I certainly can’t wait to see Henderson’s next brainchild.

Catch the director’s upcoming co-directed piece at a showing of SCA student films coming up in April. Keep your eyes on the SCA Events page to stay posted.

Chess boxing: a sport of two extremes

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Sports
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Contestants wear headphones to prevent the crowd from calling out tips. — Photo: Pitchhigh

By: Ahmed Ali, Peak Associate

Imagine, if you will, a sport that simultaneously pushed its athletes to their physical and intellectual limits — a sport that requires an extreme amount of focus, restraint, and raw power. Well, imagine no longer, as the odd, but nevertheless impressive, new sport known as chess boxing has burst onto the scene.

Chess boxing is a sport in which two athletes alternate between six rounds of chess and five rounds of boxing, lasting three minutes each. In chess boxing, the winner is whoever gets a checkmate or a knockout first. Athletes can also be disqualified for trying to stall for time and, in the event of a draw, the winner is determined by points scored in the boxing ring. If the two athletes are still tied after their five boxing rounds have been assessed by the judges, the athlete playing the black side in chess is determined to be the winner.

This sport of two extremes was created by Dutch performance artist Iepe Rubingh in the early 2000’s. Rubingh’s idea was to create performance art to make people think by ushering in a new sport that was based on the 1992 comic Froid Équateur. In the comic, there is a chess boxing championship in which two athletes spend an entire day in a boxing match (with a ring painted like a giant chessboard) and the next day in a round of chess. Rubingh likely found this set up to be unwieldy, so he refined the rules to make a match of chess boxing more manageable in terms of time. In 2003, Rubingh started the first official chess boxing competition and, somewhat unsurprisingly, became the first champion.

What was surprising was that this new sport ended up becoming wildly popular. Since then, in collaboration with the Dutch Boxing Association and the Dutch Chess Federation, the World Chess Boxing Organization was formed with the goal of legitimizing chess boxing worldwide. Rubingh himself has set aside his career as an artist to focus on promoting and expanding the sport, which is particularly popular in Germany, the UK, India, and Russia.

One of the most difficult aspects of the sport is the mental fortitude it requires. It can be extremely taxing to amp yourself up for a fight, only to have to quickly calm down for a tough mental exercise, and then have to repeat the process up to six times. The official Chess Boxing Global website describes this unique challenge, noting that “chess boxing is a rare blend of contrasting skills” that requires athletes to combine “a powerful body with a sharp mind.” While there are many quirky elements to the sport, it’s this transition between physical and intellectual extremes that creators and proponents of the sport describe as its most intriguing feature. As the official website notes, “In the ring, the fighter is fueled by testosterone, adrenaline, and skill. Three minutes later, he [or she] changes battlegrounds. The contender has only seconds to restrain his fighting instinct and move into the silent logic of his mind. It is the only sport in which the heart, mind and body perform in total harmony.” 

Personally, I think one of the coolest things about this sport is the fact that it’s entirely possible that someone with no boxing experience could beat Floyd Mayweather in what is technically, at least partially, a boxing match. All this could be done without having to actually fight him, as long as the checkmate was secured in the first round of chess. If not, well, that might be the last game of chess one ever played. 

Letter to the Editor from Giovanni HoSang

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Photo: Aaron Burden/Unsplash

Greetings to the Editor-in-Chief of The Peak:

The Peak opinion piece entitled “Giovanni HoSang can’t pretend Kickoff doesn’t involve him” stated some concerns around holding the president accountable for the losses of the concert. I wholeheartedly support students holding us accountable and raising issues as elected representatives, and I strongly encourage this. At the same time, I want to address some concerns that were raised in that article. The reality is, unless there is a change in the bylaws and policies that allows a single Board member to have more influence over Board decisions, not even the president has the power to overrule a majority vote.

Currently, there is no such mechanism and [there] probably shouldn’t be. This means that everything decided by the Board is at the will of the Board as a whole. The president’s role doesn’t include the power to overrule or veto a majority decision. The president can help set the direction of the Society and represent the Society on formal occasions, act as the Societys’ ambassador, attempt to have their vision for the Society executed through Board processes, and work with other directors to execute on their vision.

This Board voted to increase the budget deficit allowable to $60k while shutting down questions that I was asking about the budget (to break it down, the VP Student Services called the question, meaning there could be no more discussion on the matter. This, making the discussion time a total of eight minutes). In addition, this was the last time the Fall Kickoff event came to the Board table.

However, as the article stated, I worked hard to get sales and visibility for the event, and even fought for it not to be cancelled, because I value the Kickoff concert and wanted to see it succeed and for students to attend. That doesn’t mean that the process and planning around the concert didn’t have its problems that students need to hold the Board, and each and every Board member, accountable for. This is why I, and some other Board members want to see recommendations through an audit to make sure the same thing doesn’t happen in future years.

Essentially, the originally anticipated losses for the concert were badly planned in a top down way, and the increases should not have been approved. But neither the president nor any single Board member who opposed this could have changed this without majority support. It is important that students are aware of these decision-making processes, and seek to change them to reflect more transparency in large scale event planning and other activities of the Society.

Yes, last year I was elected president. However, my values and those of some of the other Board members, who support my values and my vision for the Society, are in a clear-cut minority. As a result, we need a stronger mandate for future Boards to have a larger representation of strong progressive students, who will bring back student power through activism on campus. We need to elect more students who will truly and actually care about what students want, and this is what I will continue to fight for.

Cheers,
Giovanni HoSang

 

To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You offers a surprisingly nostalgic look at my own relationship

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Arts
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Screenshot via Netflix
Screenshot via Netflix

by Marco Ovies, Arts Editor

After what seems to be a happy ending for star-crossed lovers Lara Jean (Lana Codor) and Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo), sequel film To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You proves that not all relationships are perfect. In a twist, Lara Jean’s old flame and recipient of her fifth letter John Ambrose (Jordan Fisher) returns to complicate things. Lara Jean is left confused since she still loves Noah but also has feelings for John Ambrose.

I was lucky enough to be invited to a premiere screening of the film a week before it launched and let me tell you, the film does not disappoint. To be entirely honest, I only saw the first movie To All The Boys I Loved Before four hours before seeing the sequel. When it first showed up on Netflix I never really felt like I had to see this movie. And at the end of the day it really isn’t a movie that you have to see, but that doesn’t mean it’s not good. 

But the sequel titled To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You surpassed my expectations and ended up being much better than the first. If you’re hoping to watch something that isn’t just a highschool romance then maybe this is not the movie for you. But director Michael Fimognari obviously knew that this movie was a highschool romance and stuck true to that tone, and that is what made it very enjoyable.

Maybe what made the movie so great was the fact that it was shot in Vancouver. I had taken my girlfriend with me to the premiere and watched as all the dates Noah takes Lara Jean on were the same dates that me and my girlfriend went on. We would nudge each other when familiar spots would pop up like Queen Elizabeth Park, Playland, and the Vancouver Aquarium. It acted almost like a walk down memory lane and turned what should have been a very normal movie screening into a very special night. Therefore I might be a bit biased when I say that I really enjoyed this movie. 

Even some of the arguments seemed familiar and we were able to laugh about them during the film, remembering how silly they were. I wanted to yell “JUST COMMUNICATE” at poor Lara Jean struggling through the whole movie. After living through some of these same arguments I obviously had some more experience than our protagonist, but it’s really is important to show these sort of milestones through a relationship

Because at the end of the day a relationship is not just all flowers and happy endings. To make something work takes time and commitment, and there will be rough patches throughout. To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You shows that side of the relationship perfectly and gives an honest to goodness realistic viewpoint on dating. There will be arguing about who ordered the pizza or frustrations about not spending enough time with each other, but if the relationship is a healthy one and as long as you communicate then everything will turn out fine.

So while the movie was a bit overly dramatic (since it is a movie after all), I do recommend watching it. The next time you’re sitting on the couch with your significant other scrolling through Netflix debating what to watch, why not check out To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You. It’s a cute hour and a half movie that you might see a lot more of yourself in than you would have guessed.

Peak Sports Mailbag: Wrestling

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Photo: SFU Athletics

By: Lauren Mason, SFU Student

Hello readers of The Peak sports section,

Welcome to the Peak Sports Mailbag. My name is Lauren Mason. I’m a member of the SFU Women’s Wrestling team and this week’s host of the wrestling-themed Mailbag. 

Thanks so much to all of our readers that submitted their wrestling-related questions, and my apologies if your question didn’t make it into this week’s edition. Usually, the Mailbag host will only answer three questions. Don’t worry though, as all questions submitted count for an entry into the raffle draw whether or not they are addressed in the Mailbag. Now, onto the questions!

Question 1: How are points scored in a wrestling match ?  – Sikwan

First of all, there are three different styles of wrestling: freestyle, folkstyle, and Greco-Roman. At SFU, the women wrestle freestyle and the men wrestle folkstyle. 

In freestyle, each match is six minutes long (two three-minute periods). There are three referees, and points are awarded for the following: two for a takedown, two for a back exposure, four for feet-to-back, and one for a push out of bounds. In order for points to be awarded, at least two of the three referees must agree. 

In folkstyle at the college/university level, matches are seven minutes long (a three-minute period followed by consecutive two-minute periods). There is just one referee that will award points for the following: two for a takedown, one for an escape, two for a reversal, and two or four for a near-fall (holding the opponent with their back exposed). 

Question 2: Who are some of SFU’s most notable wrestling alumni ? – Carson

SFU has been a powerhouse in wrestling for many years. Many national champions, World medal winners, and even Olympians, have been a part of this program. Numerous people in the sports world look to SFU as a strong university, academically speaking, but there is also an expectation that our athletes will perform athletically well on a national and international scale. Since SFU’s teams consist of mostly American and Canadian members, there are many notable alumni from both countries. 

On the women’s side, Carol Huynh was the first female Olympic gold medalist in wrestling for Canada; she earned another Olympic bronze at the 2012 games, and she also has numerous other medals on the World stage. 

On the men’s side, the most prominent athlete is Daniel Igali. He won gold at the 2000 Olympics and won the 1999 World Championships as well. 

Other notable Canadian SFU grads are World medal holders Haislan Garcia, Danielle Lappage, and Justina Di Stasio. On the American side, Helen Maroulis, with her win in 2016, was the first female Olympic gold medalist in wrestling for the United States. Additional notable alumni are Mallory Velte, a World bronze medalist, and Dominique Parrish, who placed fifth at the 2018 U23 World Championships. As you can see, SFU consistently produces many high-achieving wrestlers.

Question 3: How do SFU’s wrestling programs rank amongst the NCAA? – Laura

On the women’s side, SFU has always been one of the best on the continent. For the last 10 years, the women’s team has ranked amongst the top three in their division. In 2019, they placed second in the WCWA (Women’s Collegiate Wrestling Association) and nine members of the team achieved the honour of being named All-American. The men’s side also has many ranked wrestlers, and has had at least one Division II All-American each year. 

If you would like to participate in future editions of the Peak Sports Mailbag and be entered in a raffle for an end-of-semester prize, here’s what you can send to [email protected]: 

  • Sports-related questions that our weekly host will answer
  • Weekly theme ideas to guide our questions
  • Short (100–200 word) responses to our bi-weekly Reverse Mailbag (get paid $5) 

Or: sign up to host the Mailbag (and get paid)!

Thanks to all of you SFU sports fans for blowing up my inbox!

The next original Mailbag theme is: Golf 

The host for the golf Mailbag is: Juztin Bello

Send in your questions to [email protected]. 

The Week Ahead in SFU Sports: February 17–23

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Photo: SFU Athletics

By: Dylan Webb, Sports Editor

A relatively light schedule for SFU Athletics will have both basketball teams, the track team, and the men’s golf team in action this week. The first event of the year for men’s golf comes as the basketball teams prepare for playoffs. 

Women’s Basketball:

The women’s basketball team will try to continue their recent hot streak as they embark on their longest road trip of the season. The trip starts with a game against the Anchorage Seawolves on February 20 at 8 p.m. and concludes in Fairbanks on February 22 at 3 p.m. 

Men’s Basketball:

Returning home from a short two-game road trip, the men’s basketball team will host Seattle Pacific University on February 20 and St. Martin’s University on February 22. Tip off for both games will be at 7 p.m. in the West Gym. 

Track and Field:

It’s a big week for the SFU Track team as the squad heads to Nampa, Idaho on February 21 and 22 for the GNAC Indoor Championships. 

Men’s Golf:

The SFU Men’s Golf team kicks off their 2020 season with a trip to San Bernardino, California to take on California State University, San Bernardino on February 17 and 18. 

Valentines Vibe Check

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Winning streak ends at seven as SFU Hockey drops final home game of regular season

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Sports
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Michael Lenko made 21 saves to earn his first shutout of the year. — Photo: SFU Hockey

By: Michael Lenko, Peak Associate

The SFU Hockey team extended its winning streak to seven games on Friday night by defeating the University of Victoria Vikes 3–0. Unfortunately, the Clan were not able to hold off the Selkirk Saints the following night as they fell 5–1 in their final home game of the 2019–20 season. The loss snapped SFU’s season-long seven game winning streak.  

In the Friday night game against the Vikes, the Clan overcame a slow start to dominate the opening period. After giving up four shots in the first few minutes, the Clan clamped down defensively and allowed just two more shots for the remainder of the period while taking 14 of their own. SFU’s strong play over the remainder of the frame was rewarded as Mac Colasimone scored his ninth goal of the year to give the Clan a 1–0 lead heading into the first intermission. 

The second period consisted of more dominating play from the Clan, which culminated in Arjun Badh’s fourth goal of the season to extend the lead to two. 

After carrying the play for most of the night, the Clan weren’t quite as sharp in the third and both teams traded offensive chances. With just 10 minutes to go and the game still close, the Vikes created a grade A scoring chance that SFU starter Michael Lenko stopped with his best save of the night. With just over five minutes left in the game, SFU’s McKullen Astill added an important insurance marker that sealed the win for the Clan to extend their winning streak to seven games. 

The Clan heavily outshot the Vikes 41–21, but still relied on a strong performance from their goaltender to secure the win. Lenko collected his first shutout of the season and the third of his BCIHL career in the win. 

The second home game of the weekend started off with a ceremony to honour the team’s two graduating players, Eric Callegari and Matt Holowko. The two played their last regular season home game at the Bill Copeland Sports Centre knowing that the team had officially clinched a playoff spot with the win the night before.

In contrast to the previous game, the Clan came out firing from the opening puck drop and outshot the Saints 18–12 in the first period. The sustained pressure paid off as Ty Westgard scored on the powerplay to put the Clan up by one. The Saints responded late in the period as Garrett Hilton evened the score heading into the intermission. 

The story of the second period was penalty trouble for the Clan, as the team took six penalties in the frame. The Saints made the Clan pay for their lack of discipline as Edward Lindsey scored twice in the period, putting the visitors up by two. The lack of discipline was evident in the shot totals as well, with the Saints outshooting the Clan 14–3.

Though the pace of play evened out in the third, the Saints sealed the deal with Garrett Hilton’s second of the game and a late tally from Kadrian Klimchuk. 

While SFU is undoubtedly disappointed to see their win streak end, the extended run of strong play has resulted in the team officially clinching a playoff spot with five games still remaining on their regular season schedule. The focus for the Clan will now turn to building momentum and securing home ice advantage for the first round of the BCIHL playoffs. 

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Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.

Contact us: [email protected]

© The Peak Publications Society 1965-2024

Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.

Contact us:
[email protected]

© The Peak Publications Society 1965-2024